The Nationwide Sakura Map

Every spring, Japan transforms into a breathtaking canvas of pink and white as cherry blossoms, or sakura (桜), bloom across the country. This fleeting yet spectacular display is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture, symbolizing renewal, beauty, and the impermanence of life. People gather under the blossoms for hanami (flower viewing), a cherished tradition that brings friends and families together to admire the scenery, enjoy seasonal foods, and celebrate the arrival of warmer days.

To help travelers and locals alike make the most of the cherry blossom season, the Nationwide Sakura Map offers a dynamic and interactive way to track the peak bloom across Japan. This innovative tool features forecast isobars - lines indicating the best estimated viewing dates based on location and climate conditions - ensuring that users can plan their outings with precision.

The Nationwide Sakura Map also features some beautiful photographs of this year's cherry blossom season. Reporters and cherry blossom enthusiasts contribute images from various regions, showcasing the blossoms as they appear. Visit the map regularly over the next few weeks and you will be able to track the progression of this year's bloom from southern Kyushu to northern Hokkaido through all the submitted photos.

Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots

The cherry blossom season in Japan is a huge cultural and social event. It is also hugely important to Japan's tourism industry. According to Kansai University, cherry blossom blooms attract 63 million people who travel to and within Japan to witness the phenomenon. That tourism is worth around $2.7 billion (301 billion yen) to the Japanese economy.

In 2019 Bloomberg released a story map exploring the big business of Japan's cherry blossom season. In The Big Business of Japan’s Cherry Blossoms, Bloomberg uses the story map format to show how the timing of the cherry blossom season varies across the country. The map goes on to show the location of 600 viewing spots that are popular with tourists and the volume of visitors to those spots in 2018. A flow map is also used to illustrate the number of tourists visiting Japan in March and April 2018 and which countries those visitors came from around the world.

Japan Rail Pass also maintains a list of the Best cherry blossom festivals and viewing spots in Japan.